Mighty Warriors to raise bar for Cameroon

Ellina Mhlanga Sports ReporterIT’S now less than a week before the Mighty Warriors lock horns with Cameroon in the Olympic Games final round qualifying match at Rufaro and coach Shadreck Mlauzi has conceded that they have to raise the bar if they are to book a place at the 2016 Games.

Zimbabwe lost 1-2 in the first leg with Rudo Neshamba scoring the important away goal. “The demands of the game have increased,” said Mlauzi.

“The Cameroonians played at high tempo for 90 minutes, so we must be able to match them in terms of intensity, in terms of the way we apply ourselves in duels and in terms of the physical aspects of the game hence the emphasis on the aspects of the physical game.

“They (Cameroon) were a physical side, technical to some extent, very tactically organised and at times they were very direct and to the extent that they could be very physical at times.

“So, really, it will suit us if we stick to our strengths, we are more of a technical side, so if we stick to our strengths we will be okay.

“The team is shaping up now that we have had more time to train.”

Mlauzi, who called 32 players into camp, has since trimmed down his squad to 25 and is hoping to announce the final team around Friday ahead of Sunday’s game at Rufaro.

The dropped players are Sifundile Moyo, Sithembile Nyoni, Sheba Rauli, Margaret Kawinga, Amanda Five while Melody Musasa and Pamela Bvochora failed to make it for camp due to other commitments.

“Football is a game of pressure but the most important thing is how we manage the pressure and I’m sure I’m too experienced to be able to handle such situations.

“I’ve gone through the hammer mill in terms of my coaching experience, so really we’ll see on the match day.

“It will also trickle to the players, the way that we prepare them mentally to be able to absorb the pressure and at the end of the day manage the pressure so that we make use of the talent that the players have.

“They have the talent but we have been the nearly man of Africa because we have always been just a step away but we could not just manage to make it to most of the major finals,” said Mlauzi.

Cameroon are expected in the country on Friday.

The winner between Zimbabwe and Cameroon will be joined by the winner between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea for Rio 2016.